The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 689 - 658: Delicious, Brain Trust_1

Chapter 689: Chapter 658: Delicious, Brain Trust_1

Huang Jingli wasn’t the type to relentlessly pry until she got to the bottom of things.

"Sure, anyway, if I ever want to eat more, I’ll just come to your house," Huang Jingli said with a smile, "and today, I’m going to eat a lot more."

"No problem, eat until you’re full," He Tiantian said with a smile, "There’s smoke in here, so you guys should get out quickly; it’ll be ready soon.

He Tiantian shooed people out. The kitchen wasn’t large, and it seemed even smaller when Huang Jingli came in.

As Huang Jingli left, everyone looked expectantly at her.

"Class monitor, when can we start eating?" Qin Li asked, "It smells so good, I can’t help but drool."

Huang Jingli chuckled and said, "In about fifteen minutes, I reckon it will be ready to eat. The reason it smells so fragrant is because He Tiantian cooked her secret family recipe braised meat. Pay attention later, everyone, be careful not to swallow your tongues."

"Got it, class monitor, I’ll make sure to eat plenty," Cui Ying laughed. Back on the mountain, although the food was passable, it definitely didn’t have the variety we’ve had since coming down.

Today, we can satisfy our cravings.

Huashan smiled, not saying anything as his attention was fixed on the yard and the big, lazy tortoise lying in the corner.

Little Rotating Turtle could sense him too, but it didn’t care; after all, this human couldn’t hurt it, so it didn’t matter, it went back to sleep.

Once the food was ready, everyone came together to help serve the dishes and rice.

Huo Yingjie, Yuan Chengcai, and Huashan ate at the stone table outside, with a portion of each dish allocated for them.

He Tiantian, with the kids, and the rest ate in the dining room.

First, the men were going to drink, and the women weren’t, so eating together, the pace would be different.

Second, having kids around, chattering away, was impolite.

It was quite nice for the men and women to be separated so they could chat about topics of interest to each.

After a meal with plenty of food and drink, the group lingered for a while before saying their goodbyes and leaving.

Huang Jingli and Cui Ying were boarders, so they had to get back to school before the dormitory doors closed.

Qin Li and Yuan Chengcai were locals, and it was safer for them to leave early and get on the road.

"Yuan Chengcai, make sure you escort Qin Li home, okay?" He Tiantian instructed. Qin Li hadn’t developed any bad intentions because of Wang Bing, so Tiantian was willing to show her own goodwill.

Although she wouldn’t let go of some people who offended her, sometimes it’s better to resolve hostilities than to prolong them. If they could be resolved, that was naturally good!

Huang Jingli covered her mouth and laughed, "Hehe, Tiantian, you’re worrying about nothing. Even if you didn’t say anything, Yuan Chengcai would still escort Qin Li. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be his girlfriend anymore."

"Class monitor!" Qin Li felt a bit embarrassed being spoken about so directly by Huang Jingli.

"Okay, okay, you’ve been making googly eyes at each other, do you think we’re blind?" Huang Jingli said, "Let’s go, let’s go, see you tomorrow."

The two groups said their farewells and left.

After returning home, the two of them began to wash up and rest.

The reason He Tiantian was willing to invite Huang Jingli and the others over for a meal was firstly because they were close and knew each other well; secondly, because they didn’t act like outsiders and after eating, without waiting for He Tiantian to lift a finger, they all pitched in to help wash the pots and clean up before leaving.

This small gesture left a good impression on He Tiantian, not treating them as outsiders.

You don’t need many friends, just a few close ones are good.

Nearly half a month after the start of the school term, Huo Zhekun finally returned from Yanjing.

He was radiant and full of vigor.

Huo Zhekun distributed some things to his son and daughter-in-law, then called Huo Yingjie into the study.

"Yingjie, this trip to Yanjing has been quite fruitful," Huo Zhekun said, "The contents of the reform have been settled, and from now on, it’s only a matter of time. As the author of that article, and also as a local official, I have been arranged to become an important member of the reform army."

While listening, Huo Yingjie poured tea for his father and gently asked, "Dad, are you getting a promotion?"

Huo Zhekun nodded and said, "Yes, it won’t be long before the ’deputy’ in front of my title will be removed, and I’ll be in charge of the economy."

"Congratulations, Dad," Huo Yingjie said with a smile, "So, what are your plans?"

Huo Zhekun was full of ambition; he had talked about some general directions in Yanjing and had also thought a lot about specific responses in private.

"The foundation of reform and opening up is to liberalize the market, to gradually change the planned economy arranged by the state. However, this cannot be done overnight, and one must not take too large a step at once; it needs to be gradual. Furthermore, to enliven the market, we should encourage small business owners and craftsmen, establish a relatively free market, and first invigorate the economy," said Huo Zhekun, these actions were the safest for now.

Huo Yingjie listened and slightly furrowed his brow; some of his father’s views were too superficial.

"Wouldn’t this approach be effective?" Huo Zhekun asked somewhat apprehensively, his former confidence seeming somewhat diminished.

"Do you have a general understanding of the content of the reforms?" Huo Yingjie inquired, although he knew some aspects, having not started off in the field of economics in his past life, he was not particularly knowledgeable.

If his father wanted to achieve something significant in the economic sector, it was necessary to develop a comprehensive set of corresponding strategies.

If they were going to proceed, they might as well be at the forefront of economic reform, advancing the local economy while also increasing fiscal revenue and improving the standard of living for the people.

"Alright, let me explain in detail," said Huo Zhekun. His visit to Yanjing had made him seen almost as an advisor to that high-ranking leader. As long as he could boost the economy, his future prospects would be much brighter than his older brother’s.

He was just over forty years old, at a critical stage in his career.

Do well, and he could rise; fail, and he would stay where he was.

Since he had already started the gamble, he had to play a good hand carefully and meticulously.

Huo Yingjie took notes in his notebook, then looked up and asked, "Is that all?"

"That’s all." Huo Yingjie nodded, "I will first create a plan based on what you’ve said. Even after the plan is written, you shouldn’t disclose it unnecessarily; just be aware of it yourself. Then, we’ll wait for the official document from above and adjust the submission accordingly, ensuring we take the first step correctly."

"Well, I’ll count on my son then," said Huo Zhekun. Ah, how wonderful it is to have a good son!

Someone he could fully trust, without worries of being undermined.

And his son’s talent was truly astonishing.

In the following days, after school, Huo Yingjie would finish his household chores and then start writing and sketching on paper in his bedroom.

He Tiantian initially thought that Huo Yingjie was doing his homework, but after glancing at it a few times, she realized it wasn’t the dizzying chemical formulas.

"Brother Yingjie, what you’re writing seems to be about economics, are you planning to enter politics?" He Tiantian asked curiously, knowing that Brother Yingjie disliked the scheming and strategizing of officialdom.

If Brother Yingjie had wanted to enter politics, he would have done so much earlier, not waited until now.